Hyperuricemia refers to a body state in which the concentration of serum uric acid goes beyond the normal range. It is generally believed that a hyperuricemia should be considered when the serum uric acid concentration ≥416 μmol/L for male and ≥357 μmol/L for female. Hyperuricemia is the most important biochemical basis for gout, and is susceptible to develop gouty arthritis, tophi deposition, and joint deformity. In recent years, it has been reported in literatures at home and abroad that hyperuricemia is associated with the incidence of hypertension, hyperlipidemia, coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes, etc. Thus, studies on hyperuricemia have attracted clinical attentions.
Currently available drugs for the treatment of hyperuricemia are mainly divided into three major categories: drugs such as allopurinol and febuxostat, both of them have an inhibitory effect on xanthine oxidase, the key enzyme in the production of uric acid; and uricosuric synthetic drugs such as benzbromarone, metyrapone, etc.; and drugs such as rasburicase and PEG-uricase, etc. which promote the decomposition of uric acid. In recent years, some Chinese patent medicines also show uric acid-lowering effects and are commercially available.
However, the compositions of Chinese patent medicines are complex, which show slow effect, indefinite action target, and their uric acid-lowering effect also varies with each individual. Meanwhile, all of the drugs such as allopurinol, febuxostat, benzbromarone, metyrapone, rasburicase, and PEG-uricase, etc. have certain toxic and side effects. They often cause other physical discomforts while achieving the uric acid-lowering purpose, and thereby attend to one thing and lose another, which limits the use of these drugs somehow.